Monday, September 3, 2012

I love coming across scenarios like these; not just an old automobile, but an scene out of time. Without engaging in much scrutiny, this could almost be Bensonhurst, 1978 (my estimation based on my limited knowledge of automobiles). John Travolta anyone?

Monday, August 27, 2012

There are few things more pleasing to a lens than oxidized iron, and its alloys. We all get to enjoy the benefits of it, and I'm not just referring to its aesthetic value; without it, we would be deceased. The same iron oxide that consumes this structure delivers the oxygen we breathe to where its needed within each of us; unless of course, you're Vulcan, then a photo of a copper roof would be much more appropriate. Not to get sidetracked here, this structure is one of the rapidly disappearing relics of Red Hook's past and sits near the Gowanus Expressway.

In Ozone Park, Queens, there is a junction that can be the point of much confusion endured by JFK bound tourists and casual A Train riding NYC residents alike. It is a common occurrence that commuters bound for JFK Airport will mistakenly board a Lefferts Blvd bound A train and scratch their head when they never make it to the Howard Beach station. This piece of infrastructure is the first of two sequences where A Train, while retaining the same route designation (A) splits in to multiple terminus points.

This next section reveals a small, but complicated piece of NYC Transit lore. Some of the terms used here may seem somewhat esoteric to people who aren't familiar with the basics of New York City Subway system history. There is a series in the works in which I will discuss, in further detail, some of the fascinating history of the system and its development. But until then, all that really needs to be communicated at this point is that much work has been done over the last several decades to try to unify the subway system. In many ways, however, the system is still a hodgepodge of of different lines created by competing and conflicting interests.
One doesn't have to look very hard to see evidence of this. The most conspicuous clues that are readily evident are details like how the system is separated into an A Division (fomerly IRT, Routes with numbers) and a B Division (formerly IND, BMT, Routes with letters), which have completely different train sizes. Or some of the awkward ways in which transfers are made within connected stations. The junction above, however, is more subtle, and is resultant from dual contracts, and deconstruction and reconstitution of old transit lines.

1. IND Rockaway Line: Originally part of the Long Island Rail Road System (more on that at a later date), which was rehabilitation and adapted to fully connect the Rockaway Peninsula into the subway system.

2. IND Fulton Street Line: Originally part of the Independent Subway System, beginning in downtown Brooklyn and went to East New York. Much of it was built during the 1930's and 1940's. In the late 1950's, this line was connected to this junction.

3. BMT Fulton Street Line: Formerly an elevated line which was operated by the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corp., that spanned Fulton Street. Most of it was demolished however, and the only remaining section runs along Liberty Avenue From 80th-Hudson Street to Ozone Park-Lefferts Blvd, which was integrated into the IND Fulton Line via this junction.

In short, any peak time Brooklyn/Queens bound A Trains all travel the same route along the Fulton Line until it reaches this point, after which one train may continue along the even older, elevated Fulton Line, or it heads to the Rockaways. I really enjoyed talking up this single photo, and I hope you, the reader enjoyed it as well.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

This photograph was taken in Indianapolis some 4 to 5 years back. If memory serves, it was freezing cold and I was randomly approached by this guy who claimed to be an agent for local east side rappers who then asked if I could take his promo photos for the clients he represents. He then proceeds to state in a roundabout way that he can't really compensate me with currency per se, but the exposure he could provide, would make 'famous' in his scene. Annoyed, I proclaimed that while I may take photos under a bridge, I don't conduct business under them and handed him my card. He never called.

This phenomenon is a very old story. I only freelance part time and have a different stream of regular income, but artists of any kind are frequently propositioned in ways that relate much to panhandling. Although the man in this story is not of the highers classes, but this is indeed how wealthy people beg. Some upper class organization will offer you publicity, exposure, and a chance to socialize with them and all you have to do is hand over your hard work that keeps you sustained.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Welcome to the continuation of the Queens infrastructure marathon, to ensure diversification enjoyment, I managed to make it out of Astoria and appear in nearby Woodside. What would have made this shot really awesome, is if some retro cars would have happened to have been parked here on Roosevelt Avenue. I really can't complain, the rusty steel girders and rivets are satisfying in their own right.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

(The foot of the Hellgate bridge and the Astoria-Ditmars Blvd Subway Station in Queens)

A nice tasty transportation sandwich in on the menu here in Astoria. Fixings include 31st Street on the bottom, N and Q Trains in the middle, and topped with Amtrak. New York and many other cities along the Eastern Corridor frequently enjoy similar sandwiches, if only the entire country would develop a taste for them.

About Me

The content I bring to the G+ table is my photography, which is primarily focused in urban areas all over the United States, but mostly where I live in New York City. The primary goal of my photography is an attempt to derive artistic value from what most would perceive to be mundane urban minutiae. I am completely fascinated by that which is most ubiquitous and what most people just accept as their grime filled surroundings.